Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Grossmann House & the Maitland Muster

The Bush comes to Brough!
Join in the Maitland Muster celebrations on the long weekend by dropping into Grossmann/Brough House garden for a lunchtime BBQ with bush poetry. The National Trust repository has also been opened up to reveal some interesting toys from the former Australian Museum of Early Childhood. Saturday 2nd October from 11.00am. Ph. 49336452 or 49661760.

Society of Australian Genealogists

Australia & Great Britain & The Great War - Saturday 9 October 2010, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm, at Richmond Villa, 120 Kent Street, Sydney. Britain called and Australia answered, sending service men and women across the seas - many never to return; others independently made the trip to Britain and joined the forces there. Our WWI day will look ato learning more about the experiences of those who served and interpreting the records. Highlights will be two recent major research projects on Gallipoli and Fromelles from experts involved.

Collections Australia Network

Collections Australia Network (CAN) will be scaling back some of its activities pending directions by the Cultural Ministers Council regarding the CAN Review. CAN and its funding body have entered into a new agreement which outlines the services which CAN will continue to provide during this interim period. More information at Collections Australia Network.

Volunteers Needed - National Trust of Australia (NSW)

The National Trust of Australia (NSW) is looking for more people to join their lively and dedicated team of volunteers working at Old Government House and Experiment Farm Cottage, helping the National Trust present these treasures to the public.
A Volunteer Training Course will be held for people interested in being either a tour guide, working with children in education programs, shop assistance, gardening and maintenance, administration and conservation care.
For further information and applications: contact David Hoffman, Manager (or Lin Henry & Anna Ridley, Museums Coordinators) on 9635 8149 or email: efc@nationaltrust.com.au


or visit http://www.nationaltrust.com.au/

Saturday, September 18, 2010

CWA members dig into past

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Maitland CWA has a proud history of supporting the war effort, according to CWA member and author of the group’s history book Lisa Thomas. Mrs Thomas, of Lochinvar, has been researching back to 1929 when the branch was one of the first to form in the Hunter River group.

Full article by Rebecca Berry available at Maitland Mercury, 13 Sep, 2010.

Grossman House National Trust events

Friday 24th September 2010, Harry Boyle Memorial Lecture. Brough House is the venue for the lecture delivered by Dr. Dawn Casey. Dr. Casey is the Director of the Powerhouse Museum and is known nationally and internationally as the inaugural Director of the National Museum of Australia. Bookings essential, ph. 4933 6452 or 4932 0518.

National Library of Australia: a plan for Australian newspapers

Hilary Berthon, the Australian Newspaper Plan Coordinator at the National Library of Australia, describes how Australia’s newspapers are being preserved. Since the publication of the first newspaper in Australia in 1803, newspapers have occupied an important place in Australian life, providing both a unique commentary on and even shaping the communities in which they have been circulated.
National Library Magazine, September 2010.

Hunter Lifestyle Magazine: edition 45, Aug-Sept 2010

Historic Eelah, Maitland Vale. The property is surrounded by 69 acres, originally part of an 1826 massive 12,000 acre land grant given by Governor Lachlan Macquarie to a Mr. Timothy Nowlan, then  head of the Irish woollen mils in Dublin. The property played a vital role in the establishment of Merino sheep in Australia.
The infamous Jewboy Gang. Scone is today a pleasant rural town in the Upper Hunter Valley, but back in 1840 a tragedy occurred that would also give Scone a prominant position in Hunter bushranging history. Story & images by Gregory Powell.
Disability service celebrates 50 years. Mai-Wel is a very active organisation in the Hunter Region. The CEO Pennie Kearney talks about its history and the services it operates. Story by Tim Grant.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wedding gowns from 1930s will help raise money for kids

From the Maitland Mercury report:
The gowns of four Maitland sisters who walked down the aisle during the late 1980s and early ’90s are about to go on show to raise money for children struggling to survive in Third World countries.
The gowns, made by the sisters’ mother, will be the feature of a vintage fashion parade to raise money for World Vision.
The parade, titled Orange Blossom Time, is the work of Maitland charity group Private Collections.
Orange Blossom Time will be held at St Peter’s Church Hall, East Maitland, on Saturday, September 18, starting at 1.30pm.
An afternoon tea will follow. Phone 4933 4801 or 4934 6401 to book.

Full article by Emma Swain available at Maitland Mercury, 09 Sep, 2010.

Reaching the People: Mary MacKillop in Sydney Cove

The inspirational - and vital - work of the Sisters of St Joseph at the end of the 19th century is being celebrated in a poignant exhibition at the Mary MacKillop Place Museum in North Sydney .  Reaching the People: Mary MacKillop in Sydney Cove is an exhibition focusing on Mary's tireless work between 1881 and 1901. When: 10am to 4pm, from August 28 to September 26, 7 days a Week

Where: Mary MacKillop Place Museum is located in the School House Building , 9 Mount Street, North Sydney
Admission: Admission to the exhibition is included in the museum entry fee
Contact: 02 8912 4878
Further information: http://www.marymackillopplace.org.au/

15th century Chinese scrolls take pride of place at city’s art gallery

From the Maitland Mercury report:
A collection of ancient Chinese scrolls dating back to the 15th century has been unveiled to the people of Maitland.
In a first for the Maitland Regional Art Gallery, the scrolls are now on display after spending the past five years tucked away from public view.

Full article by Emma Swain available at Maitland Mercury, 07 Sep, 2010.

Corn staddle one of the last in Australia

From the Maitland Mercury report:
The Paterson Historical Society has renewed its fight to save the village’s iconic corn staddle. In Tucker Park, the 100-year-old corn staddle and hearse shed are the remnants of the once-thriving coaching business conducted by two generations of Maitland’s well-known Fry family.

Full article by Emma Swain available at Maitland Mercury, 07 Sep, 2010.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Display shed puts iconic steam engine on the move

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Steam engine 1042 will be taken to a new home in time for next year’s Hunter Valley Steamfest.
Maitland City Council will build a storage and display shed in Steam Heritage Park, bounded by Maitland Railway Station and the Trezecinski Bridge, following a resolution at its meeting this week.

Full article available at Maitland Mercury, 26 Aug, 2010.

Look Who's Talking Local History : Faces in the Street

The next presentation in the Maitland Library's Look Who's Talking Local History series wil be held on Thursday 9 September, 6.00-8.00pm at the Maitland Gaol. Join us for a journey down the streets of the past during NSW History Week. Personal stories will bring Maitland's social history to life as locals reveal the mystery behind the faces in the street.
More information at Maitland City Library web page.

Glass negatives shed light on past

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Images of the past were captured and sealed in glass negatives at Alex Galloway’s photographic studio. And even 80 years stored beneath a nondescript Coalfields house, buried in floodwater and mud, failed to fade their images.

The Coalfields Heritage Group has spent countless hours restoring the damaged negatives after they were delivered in three boxes to Kurri Kurri’s Edgeworth David Museum – and light again shines on those faces whose gazes offer few clues to the fates that befell them after Alex Galloway snapped the shutter.

Full article by Briony Snedden available at Maitland Mercury, 20 Aug, 2010

A city’s progress, brick by brick

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Cedar getters and brick masters form the backbone of Maitland’s pioneering history.
The Friends of Grossmann House will celebrate that legacy and the rich history of Maitland’s brick buildings during a cedar and brick day at Brough House on Sunday.

Full article by Rebecca Berry available at Maitland Mercury, 27 Aug, 2010.

History buff digs up list of NSW coal mines since 1804

From the Maitland Mercury report:
Kurri Kurri historian Brian Andrews is undertaking the mammoth task of listing every coal mine to operate in the state, starting with the first coal mine in Newcastle in 1804.

Enlisted by Coal Services Pty Ltd, formerly the Joint Coal Board, Mr Andrews has so far identified 1609 mines covering the coal rich Hunter, Illawarra, and a spattering in Gunnedah and the Clarence valley.

Full article by Briony Snedden available at: Maitland Mercury, 16 Aug, 2010.